Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras
Rector of Keele University Greece
Professor Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras, MD, PhD, FACS is the Rector of Keele University Greece. He is an Emeritus Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Crete, where he previously served as Rector from 2016 to 2019 and completed two highly successful terms as the Dean of the School of Medicine. His extensive institutional and administrative leadership is further highlighted by his tenure as the President of the Governing Committee of the Hellenic Open University (E.A.P.) from 2019 to 2022, as well as his appointment as the Secretary General for Higher Education at the Greek Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports from September 2022 until July 2024.
On a clinical and scientific level, Professor Zoras is a leading figure in surgical oncology, having performed more than 4,000 major surgical operations, including specialized regional treatments like Hyperthermic Isolated Limb Perfusions. He has served as the Director of the Clinic of Surgical Oncology and the Regional Therapies Center at Metropolitan Hospital and was previously the Director of the Surgical Oncology Clinic at the University Hospital of Heraklion until 2021. His international clinical standing is reflected in his past role on the Board of Directors of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) from 2014 to 2018, and his two terms as President of the Hellenic Society of Surgical Oncology. Furthermore, his advanced medical training includes prestigious fellowships and specializations at the National Cancer Institute of Milan (Istituto Tumori Milano), the University of Glasgow's Royal Infirmary and Beatson Institute, and the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.
Professor Zoras's rich research and authorship portfolio includes more than 170 scientific publications in international journals, capturing a substantial academic impact with an h-index of 39 and over 5,236 citations. He has contributed as a co-author and editor to prominent international medical volumes, such as the European textbook Surgical Oncology, the American textbook Surgical Anatomy, and Regional Oncotherapies, while also serving as an Associate Editor for the European Journal of Surgical Oncology and a co-chair of the European section for the Annals of Surgical Oncology. A highly sought-after expert, he has been an invited speaker at more than 600 national and international conferences and has organized over fifty scientific congresses.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to science and public education, Professor Zoras has received numerous prestigious accolades. He is a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the School of Health Sciences at both the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Frederick University of Cyprus. Internationally, he holds the title of Ufficiale dell'ordine της Stella della Repubblica Italiana, bestowed upon him by the President of the Italian Republic, is an Honorary Member of the Israel Society of Surgical Oncology, and serves as a Visiting Professor at the Shanxi Medical University in China.